Programmatic & Display

Programmatic & Display Advertising

Programmatic simply means buying advertising space automatically, across thousands of websites, apps and video players, using data to decide who sees it. Done carelessly it wastes money quietly. Done well it reaches people other channels cannot.

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What it covers

What programmatic work includes.

Programmatic display

Buying display inventory across the open web and private marketplaces, with the audience, placement and frequency controls that make it accountable.

Digital video and CTV

Online video and connected TV placements for reach and consideration, planned against a defined audience rather than broad impressions.

Audience targeting

First-party data, contextual targeting and curated audience segments, chosen for relevance rather than for the size of the number on the plan.

Retargeting at sensible frequency

Retargeting with caps, recency windows and exclusions, so spend goes to people worth reaching again.

Premium inventory and publisher partnerships

Direct and curated deals with quality publishers, including local Australian media such as News Corp and Nine Entertainment where it fits the audience and the plan.

Local media opportunities

Identifying local and category publishers that give genuine access to a relevant audience in-market.

Brand and performance together

Programmatic rarely ends in a last-click conversion. Plans state up front what each line item is there to do.

Cross-channel planning

Programmatic is planned as part of the total media mix rather than as an isolated budget. Search, social and programmatic are considered together so spend, reach, frequency and messaging can be adjusted according to what the evidence shows.

When it makes sense

Signs this is the right next step.

Search and social are well run and you need incremental reach.
Your audience is identifiable but not yet actively searching.
You want quality media environments rather than whatever is cheapest.
A launch, category push or new market needs awareness alongside capture.
Media investment is substantial enough to justify a reach-and-frequency plan.

Common challenges

What usually goes wrong.

Opaque buying

Fees, inventory quality and placement reports are often hard to see. Transparency on where money goes is non-negotiable here.

Low-quality inventory

Cheap impressions are abundant. Without inclusion lists and verification, budget drains into places that do nothing for the brand.

Last-click judgement

Evaluating upper-funnel media on last-click conversions guarantees it looks like a failure.

Jargon instead of plans

Programmatic attracts unnecessary language. If a plan cannot be explained plainly, it usually has not been thought through.

Edify's approach

How the work is actually done.

Define the job of the channel

Reach, consideration or efficiency - stated before buying, with the measure agreed at the same time.

Quality over volume

Curated inventory, inclusion lists and verification, with placement reporting available to you.

Work with media owners

Direct conversations with publishers frequently produce better access and better value than buying blind.

Measure honestly

Reach, frequency, view-through and assisted performance reported together, with the limitations spelled out.

Platforms & capabilities

What Edify works with.

Buying and inventory

Programmatic display
Digital video and CTV
Private marketplaces and curated deals
Audio, where relevant
Australian publisher inventory including News Corp and Nine Entertainment

Supporting capability

Audience and data strategy
Inclusion and exclusion list management
Brand safety and verification
Reach and frequency planning
Cross-channel measurement

Measurement

Commercial focus, not vanity metrics.

Reach, frequency and unique audience delivered against the plan.
Placement-level reporting so inventory quality is visible, not assumed.
Assisted and view-through performance reported with its caveats stated.
Impact on overall blended acquisition cost, not just channel-reported results.

How engagement works

Four straightforward stages.

01
Initial conversation
A straightforward discussion about the business, the goals and what is currently getting in the way. No pitch deck.
02
Review and proposal
A look at existing accounts, tracking and data, followed by an honest view of the opportunity and what would be involved.
03
Onboarding
Access, measurement, reporting and priorities are agreed, with a clear plan for the first ninety days.
04
Ongoing work
Regular optimisation, testing and reporting, with direct access to Ed and documented reasoning behind changes.

FAQ

Programmatic questions.

What does programmatic actually mean?

It is the automated buying of advertising space across websites, apps, video and connected TV. Instead of negotiating one site at a time, inventory is bought through platforms that use data to decide which impressions to bid on.

Is programmatic only for large budgets?

It needs enough budget to reach a meaningful audience at a useful frequency. Below that, money is usually better placed in search and social. Ed will say plainly if programmatic is not the right next step.

How do we know the ads appeared somewhere decent?

Through placement reporting, inclusion lists, curated inventory and verification. You get visibility of where ads ran rather than a single aggregate number.

Can programmatic be judged on direct conversions?

Not on its own. Upper-funnel media should be assessed on reach, frequency and its contribution to overall performance, with the success measure agreed before launch.

More questions are answered on the FAQ page.

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Next step

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Tell Ed what you're trying to achieve and where your marketing is today. The first conversation is simply about whether Edify can help.